Oreo Cookie Truffles

My husband love Oreo's! This recipe makes approximately all milk chocolate 40 truffles, but you can increase the white chocolate and cover them that way as well.

1 lb Oreo cookies (3 sleeves)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (using different extracts allows for subtle flavour changes, for instance with mint extract, upped to 1 tsp) (optional)
1 lb milk chocolate
1/2 lb white chocolate

Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder.
With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).
Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.
In double-boiler, melt milk chocolate.
Dip balls and coat thoroughly.
With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off.
Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.
In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate.
Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls.
Let cool.
Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Almond Toffee

The recipe below is a fairly small batch. Once you master this size, you might want to double it and use a larger pot.


1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, divided use
2 sticks unsalted butter — 1/2 pound (salted works too)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces good quality dark or milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of the almonds on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes or until toasted and aromatic. Set aside.

Line a 13×9 or 15×10 inch pan with parchment paper and set next to stove.

Place butter in a heavy bottom (helps prevent burning), medium sized (3 qt) saucepan and melt over medium heat. When butter is mostly melted, stir in sugar, warm water and salt. Set a deep fry or candy thermometer in pan, being careful that bulb is not touching bottom of pan. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring once in a while (once or twice around), until it reaches 240 degrees F.

At 240 degrees, add the remaining 1 cup sliced almonds to sugar mixture. After adding almonds, stir constantly, keeping heat at medium, until mixture reaches 295 degrees F. If temperature is not rising at a slow and steady rate, raise heat a tiny bit until mercury starts rising. When mixture reaches 295 degrees F, immediately remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour into parchment lined pan. The mixture should be kind of a liquid blob at hit point and if you are on track, the pan will be clean when you dump the blob of candy onto the parchment. Mixture will begin to firm, and butter may pool and separate, Do not pour off any excess butter. Do not panic, because if you cooked the toffee to 295, your candy should set. Sometimes it just takes longer.

Scatter chopped chocolate across top of hot almond mixture and let chocolate melt into and over the candy as candy firms. Using back of a spoon or off set spatula, spread melted chocolate evenly over candy. Crush your toasted almonds and sprinkle over melted chocolate. Let candy cool for 1/2 hour at room temperature. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for about 1 hour to firm chocolate.

When chocolate is set is set, lift candy from pan by grasping parchment. Break candy into large chunks.

Fancy Chocolate Caramel Apples

So, most would think that caramel apples are just of halloween, but I think different. When my husband mentioned that he liked caramel apples I first asked him why it took 16 years to tell me. So I started searching for something a little more interesting than just plain caramel apples.

What I found was very simple and delivered a real WOW effect. Crisp apples, dipped in caramel, chilled, dipped in chocolate and rolled in other goodies. To make it simple, I used caramel candies instead of making the caramel from scratch. I also mixed semi-sweet and milk chocolate pieces. I find using semi-sweet a little too bitter and the milk chocolate a bit too sweet, so the mixture was just right for me.

Select firm apples, Granny Smith are excellent and a bit tart, Honey Crisp are also excellent crispy apple that has a balance of tart and sweet. Wash throughly to remove any wax. You may also want to run them under hot water to remove the waxy residue. Place the sticks in the center of the apple.

Melt the caramel in a sauce pan adding 2 tablespoons of water. Once completely melted remove from heat and dip the apple in the caramel and roll to coat. Place the apple on a cookie sheet lined with foil that's been buttered or a silpat. Once all of the apples have been coated, place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to set.


While the apples are setting up, prepare the chopped nuts, M & M’s, Reeses pieces, crushed cookies, mini marshmallows & graham cracker crumbs, anything that you want to cover the chocolate apples.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl placed on top of sauce pan with boiling water. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not sit in the water as not to burn your chocolate.

When the apples have chilled, dip them in the chocolate and while the chocolate is still warm, into your favorite topping and put them back in the refrigerator to harden.

I used Honey Crisp apples and covered the chocolate with Oreo cookie crumbs. My husband loved them and one apple goes a long way when cut.

I think I might add these to my Christmas baskets.

Here’s the video that got me started. I'm only posting part 2 because she makes the caramel in part one and doesn't give amounts. Besides, using ready made caramels was easier for me.

Oh, left over caramel? Do the same with pretzel rods.